Inkstand



BROWN. INKSTAND.

dfiz m W ifimollwc Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICl FR DERICK S..BROWN, OF, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

vwe r/Mao.

- SPECIFICATION forming part ,of Letters Patent No. 468,325, dated February 9, 1892. Application filed Peln'narTZL 1890. [Serial No. 341,253- CNo model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

' the art can make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an inkstand with a self-sealing valve that shall keep the inkstand practically closed and at. the same time render the ink in the well or stand easy of access for use.

lo this end my invention consists in an inkstandhaving a cover with an opening and an internal valve pressing upward from within the inkstand in such manner as to temporarily close the opening with a yielding pressure; and it further consists in details of the several parts making up the device as a whole, as more particularly hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in central vertical section of an inkstand embodying one feature of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view, in central vertical section, of an inkstand embodying another form of the invention. Fig. 3 is a detail top view of the inkstand. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the inside of the cover, showing the locking-channel.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes the body of the ink'stand, that may be made of any convenient material adapted to hold the ink. 1) denotes the cover, having an opening I), through which the point of a pen may be dipped for the purpose of obtaining a supply of ink, and c the valve closing the opening from below. The valve may consist of a hollow ball floating in the ink and thrusting upward against the under part of the opening, the under side of the cover being so shaped as to receive the ball and tend to hold it centrally of the opening. A downward pressure upon the projecting part of the ball with the point of a pen will enable a supply of ink to be obtained. A hollow rubber ball or a ball of a very light material covered with a protecting-varnish may be used as the floating valve.

Instead of being made in the shape of a sphere, the valve maybe cup-'shapedms shown in Fig. 2, and be supported upon a spring d, one end of which thrusts against the bottom of the ink-well and the other against the under side ot'the valve, to which itis cor iected by the end of the spring being wrappeuabout' the stem of the valve. The upper part of the valve has a; small recess 0', adapted to hold a small supply of ink, which, when exhausted, can be replenished by simply pushing down upon the valve, as with the point of a pen, until its upper surface is dipped below the level of the ink within the well, when by a withdrawal of the pressure the valve is at once lifted into contact with the under side of the cover and a small additional supplyis' provided, the contactof the upper edge of the valve with the under side of the cover beng sufficiently close toprevent the evaporation of the mad Ybody of ink from the well The preventing oll'qthis rapid evaporation ol the ink by the employment of a valve for antomatically closing the opening in the cover is one of the main objects of my invention.

The precise form of valve or the precise means of thrusting it against the under side of the cover adjacent to the opening is not material to my invention.

The cover of the inkstand may be of any desired materialand may be secured to the stand by means ofa screw-thread or by providing the lugs 01. on the neck, adapted to engage the locking-socket b" in the inner side of the flange of the cover.

I claim as my invention Incombination with an inkstand, a cover having an opening and provided on its side with a locking-slot, the lug on the body of the ink-well, adapted to engage said slot, the valve located within the inkstand below the open ing in the cover and having a recess in its upper surface, and a spring located within the in kstand and adapted to hold the valve against the cover with a yielding pressure, all substantially as described. 

